Poinsettia

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of poinsettia plant is a sport of Annette Hegg Hot Pink (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,761). The new variety is characterized by bracts which are a lighter pink than the parent and is particularly characterized by venation which is faint and obscure as compared with the more prominent venation of the parent.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The new variety of poinsettia plant was discovered by applicant as asport in a bed of Annette Hegg Hot Pink in applicant's greenhouse nearGraterford, Pa. This discovery was made in June, 1978.

ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION OF THE VARIETY

Applicant has asexually reproduced the new and distinct variety in hisgreenhouse by rooting of cuttings from the new sport. The asexuallyreproduced poinsettia plants have uniformly new and distinctcharacteristics.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The new and distinct variety of poinsettia plant is characterized by thefollowing features:

(1) The bracts are pink, a lighter pink than the parent. The pink colorof the bract is deeper with greater illumination and paling with lessillumination, as for example, when the bract is shaded. The closestdesignation on the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Color Chart is near52D when fully illuminated, the color paling when shaded. On theHorticultural Color Chart (HCC) the closest designation is HCC 621 whenthe bract is fully illuminated, paling to HCC 621/3 when shaded.

(2) The bracts are large and of uniform color. The veins are obscured,particularly on the upper side, by a relatively heavy upper epidermalcovering.

(3) The stamen filaments are lighter pink than those of the parent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawing comprises a photographic reproduction in color of the newand distinct poinsettia plant of this application. The color of thebracts in the photograph is as nearly true as it is reasonably possibleto make the same in a color illustration of this character.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The new and distinct variety of poinsettia plant of this application wasasexually reproduced from a sport of the parent Annette Hegg Hot Pink(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,761).

The bracts of the new variety of poinsettia plant are a lighter pinkthan the parent. The color of the bracts is near HCC 621 when fullyilluminated, paling to near HCC 621/3 when shaded. It is believed thatthe lighter pink color is the result of a heavy white upper layer, andsomewhat less heavy white lower layer, of epidermal cells covering a redinterior.

The veins in the parent are prominent but in the new variety of plantthe veins are almost obscured by the relatively heavy epidermalcovering, particularly on the upper side.

The flower of the new variety of plant is larger than the flower of theparent.

The filaments of the stamen are light pink whereas the filaments of thestamen of the parent are dark pink.

The following is a chart which compares the color of the bracts of thenew variety of plant of the present application with those of itsantecedents and with other pink sports of its antecedents. However, anoutstanding distinguishing characteristic of the new variety of plant isthat the venation of the bracts is faint and obscure in comparison withthe venation of the parent.

    ______________________________________                                        Bract Color Comparison with                                                   Antecedents and Pink Sports of Antecedents                                    Plant           Color of Bracts                                               Patent          (RHS)     (HCC)                                               No.     Plant Name  No.       No.   Name                                      ______________________________________                                         (S.N.2259)                                                                           Ott         Near 52D  621 to                                                                              Carmine                                                                 621/3 Rose                                      (S.N.2260)                                                                            Ott         Near 52D  621 to                                                                              Carmine                                                                 621/3 Rose                                      3392    A.H. Supreme                                                                              45D       820/2 Blood Red                                 2962    Annette Hegg                                                                              47A       821/2 Currant Red                               3160    A.H. Dark Red                                                                             53B       822/1 Cardinal Red                              3099    A.H. Pink   Near 47C  020/2 Delft Rose                                3120    C-1 Pink    Near 47C  020/2 Delft Rose                                3738    C-1 Hot Pink                                                                              47D       20/2  Geranium                                                                      Lake                                      3761    A.H. Hot Pink                                                                             52B       21/1  Carmine                                   ______________________________________                                         Note: A.H. = Annette Hegg                                                

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of poinsettia plant,substantially as herein illustrated and described, characterized as tonovelty by bracts which are a lighter pink than the parent, Annette HeggHot Pink (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,761) and characterized particularly bymuch less prominent veins than the parent, the veins of the new varietybeing almost obscured by a heavy epidermal covering, particularly on theupper side.